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Second Quarter Newsletter - April - June 2018

Dear HRLA Members,

A Greek philosopher once said “change

is the only constant in life”. That senti-

ment has been requoted countless

times over the past two millenniums

and still rings true today.

Most people are resistant to change for

two reasons – fear of the unknown and

the expectation that the change will

create additional work or bring new

challenges. As HR leaders, when

change happens our involvement can

be pivotal in how the change is re-

ceived and how quickly employees ad-

just.

Workplace change comes in many

forms. It may be something positive,

such as offering a new benefit program

or expanding the business with a new

location or product line. But change is

often associated with negative events

such as downsizing or assigning addi-

tional job responsibilities. Whether the

change is big or small, positive or nega-

tive, employees count on HR to guide

them through it.

In preparing for change, it’s common

for a management team to focus on the

business needs, the financials, and the

logistics. These things are usually con-

crete and supported by hard facts,

making them easier to discuss and de-

cide on. Part of our job is to be the

voice of employees, to advocate for

their interests, to prepare managers for

President’s Message Pg 1

Upcoming Events Pg 2 – 6

Anti-Harassment Article Pg 7

SHRM Recertification

Information

Pg 8

Chapter

Announcements Pg 9 - 11

Inside this issue:

Katie Quackenbush

HRLA President

President@hrlact.org

the questions that will be asked, and to

remind managers that the effect of

change is broader than what can be put

on paper. We also have a responsibility

to be the voice of management to our

employees. As Dave O’Brien and Sandy

Spencer taught us during their recent

presentation “Leading Through

Change”, it’s imperative that we develop

an effective communication strategy.

This includes open communication

about what’s happening, why it’s hap-

pening, and how it will affect employ-

ees. Continuous communication

throughout the change process will help

employees understand – and eventually

accept – something new and different.

Speaking of change, there have been

some recent changes at SHRM you

should know about. Hank Jackson,

President and CEO of SHRM for 7 years,

retired at the end of 2017. He was suc-

ceeded by Johnny Taylor. Like any new

leader to join an organization, Johnny

has his own vision and ideas for the

future of SHRM. One of the first chang-

es he made was to redefine and re-

shape the membership regions. As a

result, Susan Post has been appointed

our Field Services Director. Susan was

FSD of our region in 2000 when HRLA

was chartered and several of our mem-

bers remember how helpful she was

during that time. It’s likely that Johnny

will make more changes over the com-

ing months and years. I will make my

best effort to relay those changes to you

and to get answers for any questions

you may have.

Every organization deals with change.

Some rush into it with little preparation

and later struggle to recover from unin-

tended consequences such as dam-

aged morale. To be truly successful

with change, a more measured ap-

proach is needed. Although takes

more time and effort, with proper plan-

ning and open communication an an-

nouncement of change is less likely to

face resistance and is more likely to

bring you the results you hoped for.

HR Connections

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Members: $35.00 Non-Members: $45.00

Students and In-Transition Members: $17.50

Come join us! A hot breakfast is included!

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More Connecticut Employers May Have To Provide Workplace

Anti-Harassment Training, Will Your Company Be One Of Them?

By Attorney Meredith G. Diette

As the #metoo and #timesup movements con-

tinue gaining momentum, Connecticut employ-

ers should not be surprised that the start of the

2018 Connecticut General Assembly session

saw the introduction of a bill to increase work-

place harassment prevention training in Con-

necticut. Should HB 5043 pass in its current

form, it would be the first substantial revision to

Connecticut’s workplace harassment preven-

tion training requirements since their enact-

ment in 1992.

Connecticut, one of only three states with simi-

lar mandates, currently requires employers of

50 or more employees to provide two hours of

workplace sexual harassment prevention train-

ing to supervisors within six months of the su-

pervisor being hired as a supervisor or promot-

ed to a supervisory position. The new bill seeks

to significantly expand this training requirement

increasing the number of employers covered,

the topics that must be addressed and the fre-

quency of the training. Additionally, the bill

would increase the content and frequency of

information employers must post regarding

workplace harassment.

HR 5043, also known as the “Time’s Up Act”,

includes five significant revisions to current anti

-harassment training requirements by:

Increasing the number of covered employers

to those with 15 or more employees, instead of

50 or more employees;

Requiring two hours of “awareness and anti-

harassment compliance training” for all em-

ployees, instead of only supervisors;

Expanding the breadth of the training to in-

clude all types of harassment, such as race,

color, religious creed, age, sex, gender identity

or expression, marital status, and national

origin;

Detailing that the training include information

about the employer’s policy against harass-

ment, examples of the types of conduct that

constitute and do not constitute harassment,

strategies to prevent harassment, bystander

intervention training and a discussion of what is

acceptable and expected behavior in the work-

place; and

Mandating covered employers to provide re-

fresher training to all employees at least every

five years.

In addition to the significant revisions to the

workplace training requirements, the “Time’s Up

Act” expands the notification requirements for

employers of three or more employees and

would now require posting information concern-

ing the illegality of all types of workplace harass-

ment and the remedies available to employees

and to “directly communicate such information

and remedies to employees on an annual ba-

sis”. This last requirement suggests that em-

ployers would have to email or distribute the in-

formation directly to employees annually.

While this bill is in the early stages of the politi-

cal process and will likely undergo many revi-

sions, it presents a good reminder to Connecti-

cut employers of the state’s current workplace

training requirements. That is, if you are an em-

ployer of 50 or more employees you must pro-

vide sexual harassment prevention training to

supervisors within six months of that individual

being hired or promoted. If you have any ques-

tions or concerns regarding your workplace

training requirements or would like a sexual har-

assment prevention training program conducted

in your workplace, Berchem Moses’ labor and

employment attorneys are available to discuss

options with you.

Meredith G. Diette is an attorney with Berchem Moses PC, 75 Broad Street, Milford, CT 06460.

www.berchemmoses.com

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Dear HRLA Mem-

bers,

Happy New Year

and thank you

for electing me

to be your new

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Visit the HRLA Website

Many FREE Events with Recertification Credits for YOU

There are fresh and interesting webinars, conferences, and meetings being posted on the HRLA Web-

site almost daily thanks to our Website Guru Amy Gendron! These are located on both the front landing

page and under Events/Professional Events. Check these out and visit often — many of these Events are

FREE and have HRCI and SHRM recertification Credits.

HR Job Postings:

Do you have an HR Job Opening at your company? At this time, it is FREE to post your HR Job on the

HRLA Website! It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3! Go to www.hrlact.org, scroll down on the front landing page; click on

Job Posting under Employer Center. Fill out a few boxes and Voila – you’re done!

Have you Moved? Do you have a New Job?

Update your HRLA Website Profile if you move, change email address or obtain a new position, etc. We

want to continue to stay in touch with you!

NOTE: If you come to a meeting and are not REGISTERED ahead of time, you may not receive the follow-

up email with the Recertification Certificate and any other materials. It’s best if you can register for our

events ahead of time vs. being a walk-in. If you are a walk-in, be sure to inform the great volunteers at the

registration table of your email address.

Stay up-to-date

Join HRLA on LinkedIn and also on Facebook!

HRLA Board Meetings

Mark your Calendar: ============================================================================================

May 23—In Person 5:30 –7

Aug 16—In Person 5:30 — 7

Nov 14—Conference Call

Meetings are open to all HRLA

volunteers.

Welcome to our brand new members!

Izzy Williams

Anna Staley

Jason Lathrop

Erica Correia

Patricia Sexton